4–7 Nov 2019
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Measure your agile architecture maturity

Eltjo Poort (CGI)
9:0010:30 Wednesday, 6 November 2019
Location: M6/M7
Secondary topics:  Best Practice
Average rating: *****
(5.00, 6 ratings)

Who is this presentation for?

  • Practicing enterprise, solution, software, and infrastructure architects and architecture managers

Level

Non-technical

Description

Combining agile with architecture practices requires careful thought. CGI has developed a maturity model for agile architecture based on its ample experience tuning the architecture way of working to the agility required in different contexts.

The agile architecture maturity framework measures the architecture function’s maturity in an organization by looking at 13 key behaviors in five responsibility areas: understanding context, architectural decision making, modeling, validation, and fulfillment. The value of the architectural contribution depends on the proficiency and habits of those involved. Using this model, the maturity of the architecture function in an agile or traditional context can be measured by observing evidence and counter-evidence in daily practices. This knowledge is used to identify the most beneficial areas of improvement and to establish baselines and measure progress in improvement programs.

Eltjo Poort explains the principles and rationale behind this framework and reports CGI’s experiences and the lessons learned applying it in three organizations. You’ll recognize some behavior patterns Eltjo found. It turns out that it’s not easy to strike the right balance between traditional upfront architecture and the “agile overshoot.”

Prerequisite knowledge

  • A general knowledge of architectural design and agile practices

What you'll learn

  • Be able to identify the most beneficial improvements in the architecture way of working in a team or organization
  • Discover the balance between agility and upfront design using just enough architecture and just enough anticipation
  • Learn how to improve your business value as an architect
Photo of Eltjo Poort

Eltjo Poort

CGI

Eltjo R. Poort is a distinguished solution architect at CGI in the Netherlands, where he leads the architecture practice. In his 30-year career in the software industry, he’s fulfilled many engineering and project management roles. Previously, in the 1990s, he oversaw the implementation of the first SMS text messaging systems in the United States, and in the last decade, he produced various publications on improving architecting practices, including his PhD thesis. Eltjo is best known for his work on risk- and cost-driven architecture, a set of principles and practices for agile solution architecting, for which he received the Linda Northrop Software Architecture Award in 2016. His solution architecture blog can be found at Eltjopoort.nl. In his spare time, Eltjo plays the violin in Symfonieorkest Nijmegen. Eltjo is a member of IFIP Working Group 2.11 on Software Architecture.

  • AXA
  • Contentful
  • Datadog
  • HERE Technologies
  • QAware
  • SIG
  • Zara Tech
  • GitLab
  • NearForm
  • WhiteSource
  • Cloud Native Computing Foundation

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